Katie Beleznay probably isn鈥檛 anything like what you鈥檇 expect a TikTokker to be. For starters, she is a doctor, a well established dermatologist practising in Vancouver, to be exact, as well as a clinical instructor in the department of dermatology at the University of British Columbia and a mother of two. And she boasts nearly 90,000 followers on the , where she regularly doles out skin care advice and product recommendations.
鈥淭ikTok does a great job of showing people content they might enjoy that they might not otherwise see because the feed isn鈥檛 just videos from accounts that you follow,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t also means almost anyone can 鈥榞o viral鈥 and have their video viewed by millions of people.鈥
That鈥檚 a great thing for content creators, including herself, but it doesn鈥檛 come without its drawbacks. 鈥淭he idea that anyone can get their message out means that content that contains advice inconsistent with what professionals would recommend can be seen by millions of people,鈥 she says.
To be fair, some of these hacks present relatively low risks. Think: potential irritation or an allergic reaction, as in the case of things like rubbing jalape帽o peppers on your lips in the hopes of plumping them or using cat litter as a face scrub. Others simply don鈥檛 work. For instance, taping your face while you sleep to avoid scrunching your muscles cannot replicate the effects of Botox, says Beleznay. Plus, the adhesive could irritate your skin.
Once again food on the face is a no for me. Would not recommend this lip plumper
But then there are the trends that aren鈥檛 just ill-advised, they鈥檙e straight-up harmful. Recent examples include using sunscreen to 鈥渃ontour鈥 the face rather than slathering it on all over, scraping off moles at home or even self-administering fillers. 鈥淚n some cases, these videos contain dangerous misinformation and can become wildly popular,鈥 says Beleznay.
Now of course, this isn鈥檛 a problem that鈥檚 unique to TikTok, but it does seem to be more prevalent on the platform, says the pro. For instance, in 2021, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association to parents about young people self-injecting hyaluronic acid after the practice gained popularity on TikTok. In 2020, the British Association of Dermatologists, the British Dental Association and the British Skin Foundation concerning cosmetic hacks trending on the platform.
海角社区官网dermatologist gets why skin care advice like this gains so much traction. These sort of tips are usually quick, simple and, most importantly, accessible. 鈥淕etting dermatology care is very difficult in Canada; people sometimes wait a year to see a professional,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the fault of the system; it鈥檚 certainly not the public鈥檚 fault. But just because something seems easy doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 always the most helpful for you.鈥
They just don鈥檛 work and can actually harm your skin 馃憥 馃し馃徎鈥嶁檧锔
Last summer, Liu, who co-founded , an online service that provides rapid virtual access to board-certified dermatologists, felt compelled to make a TikTok cautioning against a growing trend she was seeing on the platform. It consisted of people using nasal sprays containing a hormone called melanotan II in an effort to look more tanned.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really dangerous because it could increase the risk for the worst skin cancer called melanoma, so I created a video just in an educational way, breaking down the potential harms and actually got a lot of backlash in the comments.鈥 In fact, some of the responses became so aggressive, Liu eventually decided to take down the post.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that I have a really good solution for this kind of thing because it鈥檚 such a pervasive problem,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd any sort of regulation, I think, would be really hard to enforce.鈥
That鈥檚 why dentist , founder of in Toronto, urges people to be extra wary when considering trying out a viral beauty trend.
鈥淚 honestly wouldn鈥檛 see it as much more than entertainment,鈥 he says. 鈥淎 lot of times, it鈥檚 more to get a reaction and get that kind of TikTok sensationalization, so that [the poster] gets viewership out of it.鈥
Try these!!! Trust us they work 馃馃Ψ
As a TikTok user and creator himself, he鈥檚 witnessed a lot of worrisome dental trends on the platform, such as people brushing their teeth with sawdust or charcoal powder, both of which are much too abrasive, he says, or using bleach or even a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to whiten their smile, practices that can seriously damage the gums. Other viral hacks have involved filing one鈥檚 teeth at home, which can strip the enamel and cause long-term damage, or using elastics to straighten teeth 鈥 what some have dubbed 鈥淒IY braces.鈥 鈥淚f we鈥檙e not safe with orthodontics, it can be really, really tragic,鈥 says Chung. 鈥淲e would never want to lose a tooth as a result of seeing something on TikTok.鈥
Liu echoes the sentiment. 鈥淚 just think that there should be more caution and the general public should understand more of what they鈥檙e digesting,鈥 she says. 鈥淏ecause when things that are plainly inaccurate spread like wildfire and become trends, they can pose a real threat to safety.鈥
To help you evaluate the merits of a skin care hack, Beleznay suggests following a few guidelines: 鈥淚f it鈥檚 related to sun/UV/sunscreen, I would avoid anything that differs from the recommendation to protect your skin using either mineral or chemical UV filters 鈥 SPF 30 or higher 鈥 and/or utilize other forms of sun protection including hats and UPF clothing,鈥 she says. As for anything involving applying food or household products to the skin, she recommends sticking to well-formulated skin care instead. 鈥淎nd for anything that is normally a medical procedure or something performed in-office, I generally advise caution 鈥 and more research 鈥 before trying at-home alternatives.鈥
Bottom line, say the pros, always seek out more information and gauge the credibility of a source before attempting any hack. When in doubt, reach out to a medical professional to make sure something is 100 per cent safe.
鈥淵ou have to be really careful when it comes to your teeth and your face or body,鈥 says Chung. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking at getting a house right now, so I鈥檓 getting all these DIYs [on my feed] and then I try them out for myself and a lot of them don鈥檛 work. But [beauty hacks] are a lot more personal and can really affect the quality of your life, way more than, say, a hack for hanging up a painting.鈥
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